Ninja Five-O 2003

Is it still worth playing?

Joe Osugi, an anti terrorist ninja, has to stop a group of terrorists influenced by powerful masks, in this 2003 Game Boy Advance platformer from Hudson Soft. It was published by Konami, released in Europe as Ninja Cop and never released in Japan. You play five missions of three levels each plus a boss, rescuing hostages and finding colored keys to unlock doors. A grappling hook lets Joe swing between platforms, and he has unlimited shurikens and a sword. Power ups add fire and laser shots, but getting hit lowers your weapon level, and two ninja magic spells grant invulnerability or clear the screen. Joe can take only a few hits, and there are no checkpoints inside a level. A grappling hook and a few hits of health still make each level a careful swing.